Pingree School hockey coach Buddy Taft has grown accustomed to seeing his players go on to prestigious camps in the offseason, but it's been a while since one of them earned a spot at the USA Hockey National Development Camp in Rochester, N.Y.
When Conor Clement, a 16-year-old junior defenseman from Danvers, made it this summer, it ended a little bit of a dry spell for Taft's program. Clement was at the camp, held in Rochester, N.Y., from June 24-30 and played in the Select 16 age group.
"We've had kids go there in the past, but Conor is the first one in a few years," said Taft.
"This kid is a good player and a good student. He'll have options (coming out of high school). I'm sure he learned a ton out there."
For Clement, who says he likes to devote most of his free time in the summer to what he calls "off site training," the appearance at the National Development Camps was unquestionably one of the highlights of his young career. He's been playing in the Massachusetts Satellite Training Program for elite players for a few years and had to make a good impression in the Mass. Hockey Festival in order to be invited to the Rochester event.
"The Festival tourney (served as the) tryout for the (National Development Camp) and that's how I was selected," said Clement, who is 5-foot-10, 165 pounds. "I can't say that I was surprised, but it was an exciting feeling to be a part of it.
"I badly wanted to go to the camp. It was pretty special to go up against some of the best players in the country. I've played against a lot of them in tournaments in Canada and whatnot and this was another chance to see how I compared. I thought I competed pretty well. I was able to get up to speed; play at the game speed that they play at."
Clement finished with three goals and 16 assists at Pingree last season and those numbers are not a knock on his ability. His emphasis with the Highlanders was to make the best of his defensive ability.
Taft pointed out that Clement made a tremendous leap between his freshman and sophomore seasons.
"He saw a lot of ice time his freshman year, but he was kind of nervous," said Taft. "He really grew into his role as a sophomore.
"Conor is very much a defensive defenseman," added Taft. "He plays the body really well, moves the puck out of the zone and has a great first read. He also has terrific hands and his confidence keeps growing. We used him on the power play because he's a pretty good decision maker."
The stated purpose of the National Development Camps is to identify, train, educate and evaluate "our best athletes" and to expose them to outstanding coaching. Clement felt he benefitted greatly from the experience, including the coaching of Chris Luongo, who is in charge of the program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Luongo was a defenseman at Michigan State and in the NHL, where he got his start with the Detroit Red Wings.
"I just learned a lot from my coaches," said Clement. "Coach Luongo was a defensive-minded defenseman, so that was a good fit for me. I have to add more of an offensive side to my game and that's going to come with more practice. We did have individual meetings with our coaches at camp and I know it's something I need to work on. I have to watch other kids in practice and if there's a 5-on-5 drill, I have to jump into it and play.
"The players (in Rochester) were some of the best I've ever played against and it was the fastest-paced hockey that I've seen. The faster hockey that I play, the more adaptive I can be. It will only help me in the long run."
Clement is also staying sharp this summer by playing for the North Shore team in the Hockey Night in Boston tourney, which is set for the Haverhill Valley Forum next week. A couple of Clement's Pingree teammates, forwards Bobby Adam of Peabody and Nathan Soter of Danvers, are also playing for North Shore. The purpose of the showcase is to get noticed by college coaches and scouts, but Clement is also using it as a developmental tool and he's already looking forward to next season at Pingree.
"I see a better season coming up," said Clement. "We're a year older. We play a lot of good schools, but we'll be better."
